Love is in the air
by skyflychick
Summary: Inuyasha finds himself having certain urges for Kagome, and attacks her in his full demon form. Will Kouga be able to save her in time? What will happen afterwards? KxK pairing. Fic is sort of rapeish. Rated M for a reason. You have been warned!
1. Love and Betrayal

Ok- New story! I am writing this as a special request for a friend. I usually don't write things with so much inappropriate content, but this story kind of called for it. Be warned- it is rated M for a reason people! Anyways… here you go Meghan (and everyone else who is reading this.) Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I obviously don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

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Kagome ran swiftly through the forest, thorns and vines tearing at her clothes and flesh as she passed. It was too late to slow down now; she had come so far and only had a little farther to go. She could feel a fresh trail of blood flowing from her shoulder, where his claws had struck her. A single tear managed to escape her eye, and she subconsciously tried to brush it off as she ran.

'_Now is not the time to think about this!_' She scolded herself.

Her chest heaved in and out and her breath came in ragged pants. She could feel her body _wanting_ to slow down, but she pushed herself to keep going. She HAD to keep going. In just a few moments she would reach the well. In just a few moments she would be safe. If only she could make it just a little bit farther…

Kagome stopped in her tracks as she saw a figure land directly in front of her with a heavy thud. _'This can't be happening!' _Kagome thought as she slowly started to back up, never taking her eyes off her attacker. He moved towards her slowly, like a predator stalking its prey. She could see the hungry glint in his eyes intensify as her fear spiked, and panic took over her senses. It was too dark to make out much of anything else, but by the few pale beams of moonlight that streamed through the dense foliage you could see the elongated nails and razor sharp fangs that poked out from under his lips as he smiled and advanced slowly upon his prey. He smirked when Kagome backed up into a tree, effectively cornering herself, and ending this little game of chase that they had been playing. As he took his last step towards her, a beam of moonlight was cast upon him, illuminating his being for all the forest to see. For the first time this night, Kagome cursed the fact that the moonlight shone through the forest, giving her a perfect view of her surroundings. _This _is something that she never wanted to have to see. At least if she didn't have her vision, she could pretend that it was someone else. She could pretend that it wasn't _him- _the person that she trusted more than anyone else. She could pretend that her best friend, (and secret crush) wasn't the once who was about to hurt her.

"Inuyasha…please…don't…" She whispered in a desperate attempt to stop him. But it was already too late. He was standing directly in front of her now, a devilish grin on his face. Kagome shut her eyes tightly as another tear rolled down her cheek. _'How did I ever let it get this far?' _

-Flashback-

"Goodbye!" Kagome yelled as she waved cheerily to her friends. Sango had requested a week to go back to her old village to tie up some loose ends, and Inuyasha reluctantly agreed. Miroku wanted to accompany her of course, just to "make sure that she was safe," and that meant that Shippou had to go along to make sure that Sango was safe from _Miroku_.

Sango yelled back a cheery goodbye as well, and looked down from her position on the fire cat's back as they took to the skies. Before they knew it, the group was gone and Inuyasha and Kagome were alone. A few days had passed since then, and things had been going peacefully for the most part- No demon attacks or 'evil auras' to speak of so far.

Inuyasha sat up in a tree –as usual- looking down on the campsite as Kagome cooked ramen for him.

"You can come down now Inuyasha! The ramen is done." Kagome announced as she held his bowl out to him. He plopped down next to her with a 'Feh' and snatched it from her hands. Some of the scalding liquid sloshed out and burned her hand. She quickly retracted it, and clutched it tightly to her chest. Inuyasha paid no attention, and choked down his food. He then jumped back up to his perch in the tree as if he didn't even notice his mistake. Kagome rolled her eyes decided not to sit him this time. He was being very testy lately and she didn't have the patience to put up with his mood swings tonight.

Kagome decided to try and get some rest, since there was pretty much nothing else to do at this point. She unrolled her sleeping back, and plopped down with a heavy sigh.

"Goodnight Inuyasha." She muttered, not receiving a reply, but not really expecting one in the first place. As she drifted off to sleep, she could only think about how much she missed her friends, and how she couldn't wait for them to come back. She liked being able to spend time alone with Inuyasha, but he had been acting s_trange _lately. Like he was avoiding her… She couldn't put her finger on it, but something was different.

-----

Inuyasha waited for Kagome's breathing to even out, marking the fact that she had finally fallen asleep. He let out a sigh of relief, glad to have some time to himself. He was tired of having to hide from her and ignore her, but he could _not_ let her find out what was really going on.

He breathed in her scent, not missing the extra pheromones that were laced with it. It was her 'time of the month' (the time of the month that she is ovulating- for those of you who didn't get the hint) or in terms that Inuyasha would understand, she was 'in heat.' He hadn't expected it to affect him in such a way, but it was simply too hard to ignore. He was having a difficult time controlling his urges for her. _'What is it about her?' _ He wondered. _'It's not as if other women affect me this way…' _ His thoughts were thrown off as another wave of Kagome's intoxicating aroma hit him. Before he knew it, he was on the ground next to her, inhaling the scent in slow, deep whiffs. He gazed at her beautiful features for a moment, and let his eyes roam her figure. _'I have to control myself!' _He thought in a panic as he realized what he was doing. By now he was feeling a little uncomfortable in his lower regions, and he could feel it tightening almost painfully by the moment. _'I have to go take care of this.' _He thought decidedly. _'Maybe then I can put this all out of my mind for a while.' _ So he leapt through the tree tops, trying to find a suitable place to relieve himself.

After a good 10 minutes of running, he came to a small river running through the forest.

'_This is as good a place as any.' _He reasoned as a bounded up into the nearest tree and began to disrobe. As he began to massage himself, he closed his eyes and imagined that it was Kagome who was touching him. He pumped himself harder and faster as he imagined her writhing underneath him, and screaming out his name. "Kagome!" He cried as he threw his head back, finally reaching his climax.

"Enjoying yourself, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha quickly stopped what he was doing, and focused his attention on the voice that called out to him.

"Kikyo…" He breathed. He was blushing madly by now, and he made sure to put all of his clothing back on before he leapt out of the branch to see her. However in his hurry, he failed to realize that he had left tetsusaiga behind…

"Wha-what are you doing here Kikyo?"

"Does it matter? I came here to find you… but it seems you are already a bit preoccupied." She gave him a cold glare. "Have you truly forgotten about me, Inuyasha? Has my reincarnation really managed to take my place in your heart?"

"No! Never! No one can replace you… You know that you will always have a special place in my heart." He replied.

"Then what is this infatuation that you have with her? Sneaking off into the middle of the night to pleasure yourself to the thought of her! Do you love her, or are you really just that pathetic?" She spat.

"I-I… I don't love her!" Inuyasha yelled. _'Or do I?' _He thought to himself.

"Then leave her." She said sternly. "I can give you everything she never could." By now Inuyasha noticed that she was slowly making her way closer and closer to him. "I can set you free." She whispered as she leaned up and reached around his neck, pulling off the prayer beads and throwing them to the ground.

"So just… forget about her." She said just before passionately kissing him on the lips.

Inuyasha froze. He didn't want to be doing this. _'Is it possible that I am really in love with Kagome?' _He roughly shoved Kikyo away from him.

"No! Kikyo, you do hold a special place in my heart, but I just don't feel that way about you anymore! I'm sorry, but I have to get back to Kagome!"

"Inuyasha! You soul belongs to me! Mark my words, someday I will kill you AND your precious bitch _Kagome!_" She screamed at his retreating figure. She watched him as he stopped his retreat and the muscles in his shoulders began to twitch. Then suddenly her expression changed from one of anger to horror. A full demon Inuyasha had a hand around her throat as he slashed her open with the other, effectively ridding the world of her presence. He threw her lifeless body to the ground. No remorse was evident in his features. Just then a soft breeze blew through the forest, stirring up the leaves and carrying a soft, rather pleasant scent to Inuyasha's nose. An evil grin crossed over his face as he propelled off the ground, and soared through the skies, eagerly seeking his destination.

----

Kagome bolted upright in her sleeping bag.

'_Something's not right.'_

She could feel her soul merging together with its other piece, finally becoming one again. _'How did this happen? I-is Kikyo… dead? I have to tell Inuyasha!' _ As much as she disliked Kikyo, she knew that this was an important matter and she couldn't simply forget about it. Inuyasha deserved to know.

"Inuyasha!" She called out, scanning the tree tops for his body. But he wasn't there. "Inuyasha?" She called out timidly again, knowing that he wouldn't answer. _'Oh no. Maybe he was with Kikyo! And if Kikyo is dead, he could be in trouble too!' _She thought as she bolted off the ground, running straight into the forest. "Inuyasha!" She called out repeatedly, in her desperate search for him. After just a few moments of running, she saw him approaching her, bouncing from tree top to tree top, as he usually did. "Inuyasha! I'm so glad you're…. here." As Kagome said this, she realized that Inuyasha wasn't exactly _himself_. He landed directly in front of her, and when she saw the jagged purple stripes along his face, and the blood shot eyes, she knew what was wrong with him. "Inuyasha…" She stepped back, and tripped over a rock, falling flat on her butt. Inuyasha seized this opportunity, and pounced on her. "Sit!" Kagome yelled. She knew that it would hurt, since she was underneath him, but it was the only way to stop him and subdue his demon blood. Only this time when she said it… nothing happened. "Sit!" She yelled, praying that this time it would save her. But again the spell did not work. She cautiously glanced up at his necklace, only to find that he wasn't wearing one. _'Oh my god! How did he… when?' _She thought frantically. She tried to wiggle her way out of his grasp, but he seemed unaffected by it. If anything he just held on tighter. "Please Inuyasha… don't kill me. We're friends… remember? Try to remember!" But Inuyasha paid no attention. Little did Kagome know, Inuyasha had no plans on killing her. In fact, his thoughts were far from it. And that fact became painstakingly clear when she felts Inuyasha's clawed hand slowly slide itself up her thigh and under her skirt. Her breath hitched when his hand reached its destination, and Kagome finally realized what he was going to do.

"No! Inuyasha stop!" She yelled as she thrashed wildly. _'He's going to rape me?' _She thought to herself.

Inuyasha was angered by her protests and dug his claws into the tender flesh of her leg. She tried to muffle her scream, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of hearing it, but it didn't seem to have any effect on him either way. His used his other clawed hand to rip her shirt off, leaving it in a shredded pile on the ground. _'This can't be happening! There has to be some way to stop him!' _ She remembered the only other thing that had ever stopped him from transforming was a kiss… certainly that wouldn't work in this situation though, right? Before she could test it out, Inuyasha beat her to the punch. He forcefully pressed his lips tightly against hers, digging his claws into her shoulder blade when she struggled to turn her head. He sunk his fangs into her lower lip, prying her mouth open and shoving his tongue through. She continued struggling, but he brought one of his clawed hands up to her head and held it in place. He settled his body firmly on top of hers, and began grinding himself against her. She could now feel his full erection, and if there was any mistake about his intent beforehand there certainly wasn't any now. Kagome took the last opportunity for escape that she had, and swiftly brought her knee up between his legs. He stopped what he was doing as a gust of air escaped his lungs, and she shoved him off of her, and made a mad dash through the forest. _'If his beads of subjugation are gone, he can no longer use the well. All I have to do is make it to the well, and I am home free.' _

-End of Flashback-

Kouga was sitting on his favorite thinking rock, daydreaming of the wonderful girl that he referred to as 'his woman.' It was late and the rest of the pack was already sleeping, but he just couldn't seem to take his mind off of her. He may not know her as well as he would like to, but he was convinced that he was in love with her. He loved her more than life itself.

'_If only there was some way to make her understand how much she means to me… She would leave that stupid mutt and we would live together in peace.' _He lightly scented the air, picking up traces of her sweet scent on the breeze.

'_She's near by.' _He thought, wondering if now was a good time to pay her a visit.

'_Now seems like a good time indeed.' _He thought as he picked up another scent mixed in with her usual one. _'She's in heat.' _A smile crossed his face as the thought of her agreeing to have his pups crossed his mind. He knew it was a long shot, but he could always extend the offer...

Suddenly the smile was replaced by a frown and look of terror as he the heavy scent of her blood and traces of fear finally made its way to his nostrils. _'That's Kagome's blood!' _He thought as he ran in her direction at break neck speeds. _'Hold on a little longer Kagome. I promise I will save you!' _

----

(Back to present time with Inuyasha and Kagome- where the story actually BEGAN…)

Inuyasha slammed Kagome's back into the tree trunk behind her, widening the gash that he had inflicted upon her shoulder previously. He was obviously angered over the fact that she had tried to escape from him. He once again pressed himself against her, crushing her against the tree. She could barely breathe at this point- she was still worn out from running- and he left her no wiggle room. The tears continued to slide down her cheeks, but he paid them no heed. He moved back slightly, just enough to look at her body. Her shirt had been long forgotten back in the forest, and the only thing covering her chest was a lacy black bra. When Kagome noticed him staring at her exposed cleavage, she attempted to cover herself. Inuyasha was already reaching out for them however, roughly massaging her breasts through the material. She whimpered, pleading with him to stop, but this only seemed to excite him further. His claws traced down the sides of her stomach all the way to her hips, leaving raised welts and a few trails of blood in their wake. She no longer held back her screams, and cried out at the painful sensation. When he started to try and remove her skirt however, she lost it completely. She started throwing punches at him and attempting to kick him. He was unharmed, but frustrated with her actions. He removed her from the tree, and threw her to the ground. He then stood over her, and began to remove his own clothing.

'_Now's my last chance!' _She thought as she ducked out from under his legs and once again tried to run deeper into the forest. She knew that she wouldn't get very far –Inuyasha was much faster than her, especially in full demon form- but she had to give it a shot. She was not willing to give up and allow herself to be raped. _'If it's going to happen, then it's going to happen, and there's nothing that I can do about it. But I refuse to go down without a fight.' _She hadn't gotten very much farther when she collided into someone's chest. She stumbled back a bit, but managed to catch herself. Thinking that it was Inuyasha, she screamed and turned around, trying desperately to escape. A pair of strong arms enveloped her from behind, and she thrashed about wildly screaming as more tears poured from her eyes.

"Kagome! It's only me! Are you okay?" Came Kouga's gentle voice. At the sound, Kagome stopped her struggling. "Kagome, you have to tell me what's wrong." He said seriously. He growled after taking notice of her wounds, and her state of dress- or lack thereof. She had several deep gashes running along her arms, legs, and torso. He skirt was ripped and tattered, and her shirt was non-existent.

"H-he tried to rape me." She whispered out, still panicky. She knew that he would catch up with her any moment, and now he might kill Kouga too.

"WHO?" Kouga yelled, outraged. He began to sniff her over, looking for any traces of the scent of whoever did this to her. He growled deep in his throat when the only scent that he picked up was Inuyasha's. And from the smell of it, he had been turned on. "Was it Inuyasha?" He asked through grit teeth. "Tell me Kagome, did that mutt do this to you?"

Kagome slowly nodded her head as another tear-drop fell from the tip of her nose and hit the cold dirt below. "Please… get out of here…" She whispered. "He will kill you."

"What? And leave you here with that damn dog so that he can finish what he started? Never! Don't worry Kagome; I will protect you from him." Kouga stated proudly.

"Kouga, you don't understand. Inuyasha- he's… he's"

"Going to kill you." Inuyasha finished. Kouga and Kagome both turned to face the very pissed off, full demon Inuyasha. _'That's the first thing I have heard him say all night.' _Kagome thought to herself.

"What's with you, mutt? You don't smell like a hanyou…" Kouga said as he placed Kagome gently on the ground, taking a protective stance in front of her.

"He's in his full demon form." Kagome informed him. "I'm surprised that he even spoke. His demon blood is too much for him to handle when it takes over. He really doesn't have much control over himself." Inuyasha lunged at Kouga, slashing the air as Kouga narrowly dodged his attack.

'_He really is a lot faster in this form.' _ Kouga thought, barely sidestepping another slash. Kouga attempted to punch Inuyasha in the head, but Inuyasha caught his fist, and gave him a bone crushing kick to the ribcage. He could feel at least two ribs crack under the force, and there would undoubtedly be some bruising. Inuyasha then used his fist to throw him to the ground, making sure to stomp on the broken ribs as he stepped over Kouga's injured body and made his way to Kagome.

"Inuyasha, please. Stop." She cried out as he grabbed her injured shoulder, forcing her to the ground.

"Mine!" He yelled before he kissed her and tackled her to the ground. Kouga found the strength to pull himself to his feet, overcoming his injuries and making his way over to the two. He tore Inuyasha off of Kagome's injured body, and then slammed him back into the ground.

"Don't- touch-her." Kouga ground out. Kagome looked to her savior with appreciation before she passed out from pain and blood loss. Kouga was overcome by anger at the fact that Inuyasha had hurt her so badly. But he was also upset with himself for not reaching her in time to save her from having to suffer.

'_I'm sorry Kagome. Please forgive me.' _He vowed to do whatever it took to save her, no matter what.

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That's a wrap! Review, and I'll post more by tonight (or early tomorrow at the latest.)But I need a decent amount of reviews. It takes a long time to write this stuff, so a short review isn't too much to ask in return, right? Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!


	2. Salvation

Ok, this is going to be a very short chapter, but I promised to write more tonight and I plan on keeping my word! I do have a lot to do though, and I am REALLY tired, so don't expect much. I just thought that I would at least give you all a little closure, since that last chapter was kind of a cliff hanger.

Enjoy!

Disclaimer- Again- I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

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Kagome awoke with a start. _'Where am I?' _She wondered as last night's events slowly flooded back to her. Her head throbbed with pain, and she could still feel the sharp sting of the wounds that Inuyasha had inflicted upon her. Her hand unconsciously went to the wound on her shoulder blade, and she noticed that it had been bandaged. Not only that, but someone had replaced her missing shirt with another, more _furry_ shirt. She also couldn't help but notice that she was lying on a bed. It was nothing fancy, just a pile of straw, with a large fur thrown over the top. 'Kouga was the one that saved me… does that mean that I am at his den?' She asked herself. 'Was he really able to defeat Inuyasha in his full demon form?' She shifted her gaze to the corner, where she could barely make out Kouga's sleeping form. It was still early, and the sun wouldn't rise for another hour or so. 'So I guess that means he is okay.'

She attempted to get up and check on him- she knew that he had sustained some heavy injuries in the fight- but her own wounds restricted her range of motion. As she sat up, she felt one of the wounds in her side begin to re-open, and a trail of fresh blood trickled down the side of her hip. A small whimper of pain escaped her lips as she lay back down on the furs, abandoning her mission.

"Kagome?" Kouga questioned, after hearing her whimper. "Are you awake?" Immediately he was at her side. Having smelled the blood, he was overcome with worry.

"How are your wounds?"

She looked up at him, taking notice of the worry evident in his eyes. "They're healing." She replied softly. "How are you holding up?"

He smiled at the question. "You don't have to worry about me Kagome. Just focus on getting better." Silence fell upon them, and Kouga stayed by Kagome's side, watching her stare blankly at the ceiling above them.

"Kouga?" Kagome asked after a few moments had passed. "Thanks. For everything. And… I'm sorry." She added quietly.

"Sorry for what? Kagome, you have nothing to be sorry for." Kouga responded.

"I'm sorry that you had to get involved in all this. I'm sorry that you got hurt because of me… and… I'm sorry that I let this happen."

"Kagome, I would never let anything happen to you. There's no need to apologize for my injuries- I did what I had to do. And it's not your fault that that damn mutt doesn't know how to respect boundaries. It's his fault Kagome, not yours." He replied sternly. "If anything,_ I_ should be apologizing to _you_."

She looked into his eyes, genuinely confused. "For what?"

"If I had gotten there earlier, he never would have hurt you in the first place. I said hat I would always protect you, and I let you down." He was looking at the floor now, ashamed of himself.

Kagome's hand reached out for his, since she was still unable to sit up enough to actually hug him. "Kouga, you didn't let me down. How can you say that? You saved me. I'm just glad that you came at all. His prayer beads were gone… if you hadn't showed up, I don't think I could have stopped him." Her voice grew softer as she finished her statement. Images of her being attacked and violated by her former companion seeped back into her memory. Tears pricked the corner of her eyes, threatening to spill onto her rosy cheeks. '_I can't cry.' _She thought to herself. _'I don't want Kouga to think that I am even more stupid and weak than he already does. I can't even defend myself.' _She thought sadly. A lone tear managed to escape from one of her sapphire orbs, and she hastily brushed it off with the back of her hand. Kouga was quick to take notice of the action however, and intertwined his fingers with hers, giving her hand a gentle squeeze.

"I'm sorry for what he did to you. I swear on my very life that I will never let him hurt you again." He vowed.

"Thanks Kouga, that really means a lot to me." She said, blinking away any of the remaining teardrops.

It was silent for a brief moment, and all that could be heard was the shifting of clothing as Kagome re-adjusted her new fur garb. It was a strange fit, and the stitches rubbed against her wounds, irritating them in an almost painful way.

"I'm sorry about the wardrobe. We don't exactly keep a lot of women's clothing around here… I just had one of the wolves quickly put something together for you when we arrived. I know it's not much, but it's the best I can do for now." Kouga voiced.

"No, it's great- really." She assured him, looking down at the garment. She gave a soft giggle when she noticed that it looked more like a lopsided poncho than an actual shirt. He chuckled at her response, easily seeing through the false kindness in her forged compliment.

'_She's always so kind hearted, even in these circumstances.' _ He thought to himself.

"Well, it's certainly better than nothing." She added.

'_I don't know about that…' _Kouga thought as he remembered how she looked in her lacy black bra. He shook his head, clearing those thoughts from his mind. _'I can't be thinking like that- she's already been through so much.' _ Her sweet scent was still tempting him, but he pushed the thought of it aside, remembering to focus on the bigger issue. He loved her more than he could say, and he wanted to do what was best for her, and make sure that she was happy. He couldn't be thinking dirty thoughts while she was in pain.

"Hey Kouga… If you don't mind me asking…" Kagome ventured "What exactly happened after I passed out? I mean, between you and Inuyasha?"

Kouga sighed. He knew this question was coming, but he was still a bit unprepared. He wanted to do this gently, without upsetting her.

"Well, the mutt is alive, but he was injured pretty badly in the fight. He didn't want to back down, but I had to stop him. I needed to get you out of the danger. I had to take a few more hits, but I managed to knock him unconscious after a while." He paused letting her absorb the information, then continued. "He's taking some time to lick his wounds, but he'll be back." He warned. "Kagome... do you know what happened to him? How did Inuyasha turn full demon?"

"His demon blood takes over when his life is in danger. He will kill until the threat is eliminated. It can only happen when he doesn't have his tetsusaiga. I'm not sure when he lost it, or what caused him to turn full demon. He left when I was sleeping. When he came back, he was fully transformed and his prayer beads were missing." She informed him. Kouga let this information sink in, fully absorbing everything. Kagome yawned, stretching and letting out a strangled cry as the wound on her shoulder began to re-open as well.

"Kagome! You should be more careful. Your wounds are still healing." He said as he carefully brushed her bangs from her forehead. He let his fingertips linger on her jaw line, tracing the soft contours of her face. "You need to rest now. You've barely slept since we've been here."

She didn't protest, and sleep soon claimed her. As her eyelids fluttered closed, Kouga leaned over and gently kissed her forehead before moving back to his spot in the corner. He wanted to keep watch over her while she rested, at least until the others awoke.

----

Inuyasha picked him self off of the forest floor, feeling like he had been hit by a ton of bricks. _'Just what the hell happened last night?' _He tried to remember something- _anything_ that would give him a clue as to why he was beaten and bloody on the forest floor, but he came up with nothing. _'The last thing I can remember is talking to Kikyo. I was going to leave. I told her that I had to get back to Kagome…' _

'_Wait a minute…' _"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled, forgetting that he had left her at the camp last night. He dashed back to the campsite as fast as his battered body would allow him, but all he found was an abandoned sleeping bag and a smoldering campfire. "Kagome!" He yelled again, driven by desperation. Again, his ears were met with silence, telling him that she was no where to be found. A strong gust of wind swept through the clearing, bringing Kagome's scent to his nose. He began to panic when he noticed that her usual scent was mixed with fear and blood. He followed the scent, winding through the forest until he came upon the spot where he had unknowingly assaulted her.

Fear gripped his heart as he spotted her bloody, torn shirt discarded on the ground. He frantically resumed his search, sniffing around for another scent that would tell him who could have done this. He followed Kagome's scent trail, which revealed that she had run from her attacker even deeper into the forest. The next scent he picked up was… Kouga's.

'_I'll kill that scrawny wolf.' _He told himself as he growled low in his throat. His wounds weren't healed, but he didn't care. He ran in the direction of the wolf den, thinking that Kouga had harmed _and_ kidnapped Kagome.

'_I'm coming Kagome.' _

----

Finished! Ok- I know it was short. Give me a break! It's 2 am and I am wrecked! I have to wake up at 5 am, so I am hoping to get just a _little_ bit of rest. This chapter was mostly fluff, but I just wanted to be able to bring the first chapter to a close. Come on, that was a lot of action for one short chapter!

Speaking of which, I might go back and add more detail when this story is completed. I realized how sparsely I used detail, and how I hurried the plot along a bit too quickly… But that will have to wait for another day!

Anyways, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed! PLEASE review, and I'll make sure to keep those new chapters coming!


	3. Author's note new chapter soon!

Ok, you guys- As you know, I am writing this story for my best friend Meghan! (I love you Meghan!)

WELL… I have the next chapter almost _completely_ written… but she doesn't want me to post the next part until I make sure that I have at least 10 reviews for each chapter… **AT LEAST.** So that means I have to have **20 **reviews total before I actually post the next one. Sorry! This is her story however, and I am writing this for her. She said she wants to see that I am "receiving the appropriate amount of gratitude for my writing." She apparently thinks that I am a great writer and that I am selling myself short by not "holding out for more" when it comes to reviews. Lol. Gotta love her! I just couldn't say no: )

Please help me out and review, because I hate having stuff already written and not being able to post it. It kills me! I want to put my work out there! That's why I write each chapter from start to finish before even taking a break!

Anyways-I know this is already SOOO long, but I just have to say… I love you guys all so much! It's SO awesome that you come here to read my work, and spend time evaluating and reviewing it. It really means so much to me as a writer. Writing is something that I have always enjoyed, and most people tell me that I have a knack for it. (Especially considering that I am only 17!) I make a few mistakes here and there, but hey- I am only human! Again, thanks for reading my work, and I can only hope that you get as much out of it as I do!

I will have that new chapter up for you as soon as I can!

Hugs & kisses!


	4. Reunion

Hey guys! Ok, so the next chapter is **finally** up! I'm sorry that it took so long; I had killer soccer practices all week! Plus my internet has been down for a few days… : (

Thanks so much for all of the wonderful reviews- I really appreciate it! You are all amazing! All of this feedback has really helped me to get motivated and understand what you all like and don't like about the chapters. Hopefully I can use this information to help me write some amazing chapters that you all will **love!**

Also, I want to apologize for several spelling errors in the last two chapters. I had to read them both about 2 times before I actually caught them all. It's ridiculous really- no matter what you do (spell check, proofread, etc.) there are always a few annoying little errors that manage to pop up and ruin the entire chapter! Sometimes the spell check even creates more errors! I know that it's annoying for you all to have to read, and it can _totally_ ruin a good story. I hope that it hasn't bothered you all too much (if at all) and that you found a way to read around the mistakes. I promise I will go back and fix them whenever I can, but for now I am just going to work on getting this chapter up.

Anyways, Thanks for reading! Enjoy!

Disclaimer- I don't own Inuyasha or any of its characters.

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'_She's so beautiful.' _Kouga thought to himself as he sat there watching his beloved from the corner of the den. It had been a good hour or two since she had gone back to sleep, but his mind still lingered on the radiant beauty that currently occupied his bed. He was ecstatic to have her here with him… it's just the way that she got here that truly disturbed him. He never wanted to see her hurt. He never wanted her to feel the pain that Inuyasha had forced her to endure- yet here she was, beaten, broken, and ultimately… betrayed.

He clenched his fists tightly, his claws pressing roughly into the calloused skin of his palms as his mind was assaulted with memories of the previous night. He could still remember how frightened Kagome had looked; sheer terror and betrayal evident in her eyes. He could practically still smell the blood and traces of fear that so heavily littered the air. He could remember the look of urgency and panic displayed across her angelic features as she plowed head first into his chest, trying desperately to make her escape. She had tried to fight him… tried to run away. She had mistaken him for _Inuyasha_.

A deep growl rumbled low in his throat, resonating through the vast darkness of the cave. He wanted revenge, oh how he wanted revenge! Ever since the day he met Inuyasha he bragged about the fact that he would one day kill that worthless mutt, but until now he had never actually meant it. It was just one of those things he said in order to keep up his image. He didn't want anyone to think that he was a coward after all- Inuyasha had challenged him for Kagome, and he couldn't back down from a _challenge_. Kouga sighed as he recollected his memories of that day- the very first day that he met Kagome. That was the day that he fell in love with her. They didn't exactly meet under the best of circumstances, but to him that was all irrelevant. The important thing is that they _met_. Ever since then his life had taken a different turn. He was a better person because of her; she made him see things in a different light. She meant everything to him, and he would do anything for her. But to see her hurt was something that his heart could not bear… It tore him apart.

He didn't know where things would go from here, between Kagome and himself, but he swore that from this point on he would protect her. Not as he protected her before now, from afar; or whenever he happened to be passing through. She always managed to get hurt despite his efforts. He meant **really** protect her, with everything that he had. In order to do that, he would have to keep her close to him. '_I will never trust her alone with Inuyasha again_.' he swore. He confirmed that last thought with a firm nod of his head, then with a new energy he quickly rose to his feet. He wanted to check on Kagome again before he woke the rest of the tribe. The sun was slowly peaking onto the horizon and it would soon be time to begin the day's duties.

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Inuyasha sped through the dense forest, obliterating any tree that dared to stand in his way. He dashed through thick bramble, smashing the briars that tugged at his hair and clothes with an angry fist. All that was left behind was a heap of mangled tree bark and severed vines, furthering emphasizing the hanyou's acrimony.

'_Kagome…What happened to you?' _Inuyasha mentally queried. His anger towards the young wolf prince was unparalleled- that was obvious from the broken pile of timber that lay in Inuyasha's wake- but he was still worried about Kagome. Questions continually assaulted his mind. _'Is she hurt? Is she safe? Just what does that flea bitten wolf intend to do with her?_' Inuyasha could not answer these questions just yet, but the wolf territory was not too far off in the distance. It would only be about another hour, give or take, before Kagome would be safely back in his care.

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Kagome's long, dark lashes lazily fluttered open. She remembered last night fully now, and the dull throbbing sensation that pained her entire body was proof that her memories were in fact correct. She groaned as she rolled over on her injured hip, effectively turning her body enough to pull herself out of Kouga's bed. She checked her wounds over, noticing that some had bled through the bandages during the night. She attributed this to her inability to keep still, even when in a deep sleep.

Kagome glanced around the room, looking to see if Kouga was still with her. To her surprise he was nowhere to be found. She turned to her left, noticing that there was a straw mat covering the door of Kouga's chambers, obviously serving to separate this portion of the wolf den from the rest. Through the course strands were several rays of sunlight shyly poking through.

'_The sun is already out? He must be awake already. I wonder if his injuries have healed yet…' _Kagome pondered as she shoved the mat aside and stepped into the main area of the wolf den. As the mat swung back into place, several wolves ran up to her, bombarding her with questions concerning her health and well-being. She shouted back to the crowd, assuring them that her injuries were healing nicely and thanking them for all their help.

'_They're all being so kind.' _She mentally giggled. _'The first time I was here these very same wolves were calling dibs on my body parts!' _

One wolf stepped forward from the crowd, inquiring once again about her injuries.

"I promise, my injuries are feeling much better today. They just need a bit more time to heal." She said with a smile, grateful for all of the concern directed at her.

"I am glad to hear that, sister Kagome. Please follow me." The wolf said as he gestured towards the entrance of the cave. "Kouga ordered me to bring you to him the very moment that you woke up."

Kagome smiled at his statement. _'Kouga shouldn't worry about me so much.' _ She thought to herself as she followed the unknown demon through the cave. The pair fell into a comfortable silence afterwards, the sounds of their footstep echoing off the cold stone of the cavern. The unknown wolf demon was concentrating on finding Kouga, and Kagome's mind was still reeling from the recent turn of events. Within a few moments, they reached the opening of the cave.

After sweeping the cave with his eyes, the wolf demon's face grew puzzled. "Hm… I guess Kouga went out to hunt." He surmised, glancing about to make sure that he hadn't missed him. "You may want to wait here Kagome. I must go out to find him, for he will be very upset if I do not inform him of your condition."

Kagome nodded, and announced that she would wait in the den for Kouga's return. It all seemed a little unnecessary to her- she could simply wait for Kouga to return on his own, but she knew that Kouga was the 'overprotective type', and that probably wouldn't sit well with him. So she reluctantly agreed, thanking the wolf for his troubles. He swiftly departed, and she made herself comfortable on a nearby heap of fur.

She watched the other wolves fondly as they went about their daily routines, smiling and waving at her as they passed. She thought back to the first time she was here. Back then she had felt distressed and out of her element. Now, she felt at home. Something about the friendly atmosphere made her feel comfortable… almost as if she belonged. She leaned back into the solid wall of the cave, letting herself rest her wounded body a bit more. While she _was_ getting better, the lacerations were deep and still pretty painful. She winced as she settled in, trying not to remember how she got the injury in the first place. _'Inuyasha…you were full demon. Do you even know what you have done? Can I forgive you?'_

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"Kouga!" The wolf yelled after several minutes of searching the territory. "It's Kagome… she's awake!"

Kouga sped towards the wolf on the opposite side of the clearing, with an enormous dead boar slung over his shoulder. "She's awake, huh? How is she?"

"Well, she said that she was feeling fine, but you can plainly see that her injuries still have quite a bit of healing to do." He replied. "She's waiting for you back at the den. I told her that you wanted to see her."

Kouga gave a smirk at his last statement; the excitement of her actually being here at his den hadn't fully passed yet. _'She's back in my den, waiting for me. This really is a dream come true…even if the only reason she is here is because of the damned dog.' _His smile faded, and he roughly tossed the boar at one of his hunting companions. "Take care of this for me, will ya? My woman is waiting for me." Kouga was off in a burst of speed, eager to see Kagome again. The other wolves saw nothing but a tornado of dust rise from the ground and tear across the land, heading for the den.

Kouga arrived shortly after, deciding to make his entrance as quietly as possible. He didn't want to disturb Kagome after all. He slipped through the side of the waterfall, walking through the gap in the front of the cave. Not to Kouga's surprise, she was resting. _'I really hope she feels better soon.' _ He thought sincerely as he gazed upon her. She was not asleep, but she seemed to be in a state of deep concentration, and didn't notice his presence. She looked heart broken, and he knew that she was thinking of Inuyasha.

"Kagome?" He called out softly. She looked up at him, forcing the saddened look off her face and replacing it with a small smile. "How are you feeling?" He asked once he knew that she had her attention.

"Much better." She replied. "How about you? You were hurt too you know."

His face took on a rather cocky look. "That mongrel couldn't hurt me." He responded in a domineering tone.

Kagome rolled her eyes in a playful way, beaming brightly at him in the process. He laughed back, glad to see her smiling again. Kouga took a seat next to her.

"Is there anything that I can do for you Kagome?"

"Well, if it's not too much of an inconvenience, I think I need to bathe."

"Sure thing. There's a hot spring not too far from here- I'd be happy to take you there."

"Thanks." She replied.

Kagome sucked in a breath as she stood up. She didn't want Kouga to worry about her wounds, but they were really paining her. Unfortunately for her, he took notice of her discomfort.

"Kagome, don't over do it." He scolded lightly as he grasped her hand, helping her to stand fully. "If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask." He said genuinely.

"Thanks Kouga." Kagome blushed lightly at his unfaltering regard for her well-being. After putting up with Inuyasha's rude and crude behavior for so long it really was flattering. He let go of her hand, and scooped her up bridal style, making his way to the spring.

Kagome sighed and relaxed into Kouga's arms as the wind swirled all around her. '_It will be so nice to bathe. After last night I feel pretty dirty.' _

Kouga looked down at the bundle in his arms, smiling with contentment. In his opinion, this is the way things were meant to be… With Kagome –his love- in his arms. He only wished that she would someday feel the same way about him. But for now this was more than enough.

Kouga thought about the mutt, noticing that there were still traces of his aroused scent tainting Kagome's wonderful fragrance. _'Maybe that's why she wanted to bathe. I hope she doesn't feel dirty because of his actions.' _ He held her tighter to his chest, savoring the feeling of her body against his at he skidded to a halt in front of the hot spring.

"We're here." He announced as he gently set her down.

Kagome waited a moment, noticing that Kouga was still standing directly in front of her. "Um… do you think you could give me a bit of privacy?" She asked sheepishly.

"Of course." He replied. "But I don't want to leave you alone." He walked back a few feet, then promptly turned around and plopped onto the ground.

"Ok, as long as you don't peek!" She yelled back to him.

"Come on Kagome, you know I wouldn't do that!" He replied teasingly. _'Although I wouldn't mind a short glance or two…' _He added to himself. He closed his eyes, shaking those thoughts from his head. He decided not to let his mind roam in that direction for the time being. He didn't want Kagome to think his intentions were anything but honorable; he wanted to be a gentleman with her. The last thing he wanted was for her to think he was a pervert. After her encounter with Inuyasha, she probably wasn't ready to handle that anyways.

Kagome began to strip off her clothing. There was a light rustling sound, and Kouga began tapping his fingers on the grass, desperately trying to ignore the noise. He was trying to stop the mental images that threatened to make him lose his composure. Kagome checked once more to make sure that Kouga's back was still turned, then she slowly slid into the spring. She hissed at the contact of the hot water against her open wounds, and opened her mouth in a silent scream. She wanted to make sure not to alarm Kouga.

"Everything okay over there?" He called over his shoulder.

"Yeah- just fine." She said through grit teeth. _'Wow, he really does have good hearing.' _

She soaked her sore body for a few moments, then took a few steps forward. Before she could catch herself she slipped on a rock ledge, letting out a small 'eep' in the process. She quickly dipped underwater, but managed to regain her composure and stand up straight, a few feet away from the drop off. After giggling at herself, she resumed her bath as if nothing had happened. _'Wow that was graceful.' _She thought to herself.

Kouga heard the noise, and quickly spun around, slightly alarmed. A scarlet blush swept across his cheeks. He let his eyes linger a moment longer than they should have, then tore them away, hoping that she didn't take notice. She was fine, much to his relief, but he caught a glimpse of her bare back in the process. It was only her back, but to him it was still very alluring. The steamy waters hid her body from the small of her back down, but he could still see a tantalizing amount of her supple curves. Tiny droplets of water gently cascaded down her body, trickling back into the spring as they reached the end of her spinal column. Her raven locks clung to her flushed skin, flowing gently across her shoulders. Kouga couldn't help but get a little worked up at the display. _'How is it that Kagome can affect me this way? I can't imagine what my reaction would be if I had seen more.' _ He spent the next few moments in quiet concentration, trying to tame his wild imagination. Kagome's splashing in the spring behind him wasn't helping his attempt in the least, but he would never tell her that. Soon he fell into such a deep concentration, that he didn't notice the approaching figure less than a mile off in the distance…

Kagome finished washing her hair, then began to climb out of the spring. She wanted to finish her bath as soon as she could, considering the fact that her wounds were still open, and the water was positively scalding. She clambered over to her clothing, using her hands to push off some of the water that clung to her body. She didn't have a towel, so she decided to make do without it. Just as she finished wringing out her hair, a figure emerged from the bushes adjacent to the forest. Kagome let out a shriek of horror as a flash of red and white streaked towards her.

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(Ok, I was going to end this here, but I'll continue it. I've already made you wait long enough!)

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Inuyasha ran through the forest, closing in on Kagome's scent. _'She's close.' _He noted as he sniffed the air again, picking up traces of Kouga's scent mixed in with hers. _'So that scrawny wolf __**is **__with her.' _ Upon further detection, he noticed that there was a slight difference in the wolf demon's scent. It seemed as if he was particularly _excited. 'Is that damned wolf aroused over my Kagome?' _His anger flared, and he launched through the shrubbery that stood between himself and his target.

Inuyasha was about to call out to Kagome, until he heard her scream. He took notice of the fact that she was unclothed, and assumed that it was because of the wolf's close proximity. Kouga had turned around by now, and had moved to block Kagome from his view. She wanted to get dressed, but in order to do that she would have to step out from behind the protection of Kouga's back. Her clothing was located a few feet to her right.

"Step away from her you weakling wolf!" Inuyasha yelled, rage seeping into his soul.

"Why, so you can get another eyeful?" Kouga bit out. "Or do you just want time alone with her so that you can assault her again?"

"What the hell are you talking about? I would never hurt her! Stop playing mind games with me- I'm here to rescue her from _you_!" He yelled back.

"Rescue her from me? So first you try to force yourself on her; then you deny it and pin the blame on me?" He laughed with disbelief. "You're even more of a coward then I thought."

Inuyasha looked taken aback by Kouga's statement. _'I don't remember anything about that night… could I have hurt her without knowing it?' _Inuyasha's face fell with disbelief._ 'No- I couldn't have… I would never do that...' _He assured himself.

"Kagome…" He ventured in a hoarse whisper. "Tell him that I didn't…." He trailed off, unable to finish the question.

Kagome stepped up closer to Kouga's back, making sure that her bare body wasn't subject to his view. She grasped the sides of his armor with her hands, and whispered up to him. "Can you move with me? I need to get my clothes." Then she very quietly added "I-I don't want him to see me naked." Kouga's heart swelled with pride and hope at hearing this, even though the circumstances were not the greatest. He was just glad to know that she trusted him to protect her and her modesty from Inuyasha.

Inuyasha's sensitive hearing picked up Kagome's request, along with the added comment. His ears drooped slightly with her proclamation, but he still refused to believe that he had any part in harming her. He rejected the idea as quickly as it came to him.

Kouga had of course agreed to serve as a shield from Inuyasha's prying eyes, and she used her hands to guide him over to her heap of clothing. She dressed quickly, but remained behind Kouga's back. She was still a little afraid to face Inuyasha, even though he had no knowledge of his crime.

Kouga noticed that Kagome was still hiding behind him, and turned around to check her over. "Are you alright?" He asked in a hushed tone, noticing the look of distress and fear written across her features. "If you don't want to face him, you don't have to." He consoled.

"No." She replied shakily. "He needs to know." Kagome looked down at her feet for a moment, trying not to shed the tears that threatened to fall.

Inuyasha however was growing impatient. "What is he talking about Kagome?" Inuyasha clenched his fists. "Tell him!" He yelled. "He's the one who hurt you! Tell him that I never touched you!" He yelled, trying to get his point across.

Kagome looked up at Inuyasha, tears brimming her eyes. "But… you did, Inuyasha." She choked out. "You did this." She gestured to her wounded body. She hadn't replaced the bandages, and by now her clothing was speckled with blood.

There was a tense moment, and Kouga decided to step aside, giving Kagome her space. Maybe if Inuyasha realized what he had done he would leave Kagome alone.

"Kagome… I couldn't have… I would never hurt you…" Inuyasha sputtered.

"Who are you trying to convince, Inuyasha? Me? Or yourself? You know… you really hurt me…" The glistening tears finally began to descend, falling from the tip of her lashes and down her pale cheek.

"Kagome, I swear I didn't know… I don't even remember." He slowly walked closer to her. Kouga growled a bit, but kept his distance. Inuyasha didn't seem to be a threat at the moment, and Kagome needed to say her peace.

"You were full demon." She told him. "I don't know why you left me, but when I woke up you were gone…" She took a deep breath to keep herself from sobbing aloud, before adding, "I was scared that something had happened to you."

Inuyasha swallowed the lump rising in his throat. _'This can't be true…' _He thought, horrified.

"I went to look for you… and you tackled me to the ground. Your prayer beads were missing… There was nothing I could do to stop you…" She wiped her tears away with the back of her hand, taking a deep breath.

"S-stop me from what?" Inuyasha dreaded the answer to this question, but he had to know.

"To stop you from… raping me." She murmured, turning her gaze away from his. Her tears flowed freely now, but she no longer tried to stop them.

Inuyasha felt as if his heart had stopped beating. His world came crashing down upon him in one fell swoop. He wanted to be the one who protected her, not the one who hurt her. She was everything to him. "Kagome… I… please forgive me." He breathed. "I would never intentionally hurt you. You have to believe me."

"I know you had no control… and I'm not blaming you… I just can't pretend it never happened." She apologized. "I'm sorry, but if Kouga hadn't come and saved me…"

"Kagome, I'm so sorry." Inuyasha apologized sincerely. His bangs shaded his eyes, hiding the intense emotions that were currently swirling throughout his amber colored orbs.

"You don't know what it feels like Inuyasha… You made me feel so helpless and weak. I was powerless against you." Her voice faltered, but she continued. "I always thought that I could depend on you. I trusted you more than I have ever trusted anyone else. But… you held me down as you cut me, and bruised me, and felt me up… Things just can't be the same. I don't know if I can place my faith in you after what happened. I'm sorry." She said sadly. Kouga walked over to Kagome, his anger growing after hearing Kagome recount the events of that night. He stood behind her, placing a supporting hand on her shoulder. (The one that wasn't injured.) "I just need some time alone." She finished.

Inuyasha hung his head. "I understand." Kouga sniffed the air, picking up traces of salt mixed in with Inuyasha's normal scent. _'Is the mutt crying?' _He asked himself. Inuyasha turned his back, preparing to walk away. Kouga passed it off, deciding that it would be inappropriate to call attention to it. Inuyasha yelled over his shoulder, apologizing to Kagome one last time. "I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me."

Kagome simply stood there, watching him depart.

"Will you be ok Kagome?" Kouga asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." She said as she wiped up the last of her tears.

Kouga enveloped her in his arms, giving her a gentle hug. "Come on, let's get those injuries re-bandaged. We want them to heal well."

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Ok! You know the drill people! Leave reviews and I will post more! Plus, I have a major soccer injury right now (My whole lower back is badly bruised and VERY sore…) and I have to pretend it's not bothering me so that I can still practice tomorrow; if I can get away with it. It sucks- I can barely walk : ( So show me some love people! Thanks for reading! And I truly hope that you enjoyed! ; )


	5. Sweet dreams

Wow, chapter 4! This story is really moving along quickly, huh? Yeah! I am actually keeping up on my writing for once! It's strange, because I have almost no free time at all. I have school, soccer practice every single day, and I work! Back when I had nothing to do all day I didn't write at all. It's funny how things work like that, huh? Anyway… Read and enjoy! If you have ANY ideas or suggestions at all please let me know, I would love to hear them! Thanks!

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha

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"_Inuyasha, how could you?" Kagome choked as she looked up into his eyes. _

"_Shut up, Bitch." He snapped as he roughly shoved her body into the soil below. Kagome screamed as he closed in on her, begging for him to stop. _

"_No, please. Don't do this." She pleaded, tears streaming from her eyes. Her only response was a deep rumbling growl, filling her senses with panic. _

"_No, stop!" She yelled as he pounced on top of her, crushing her with his weight. He ignored her plea, and tore off her shirt and green pleated skirt with one quick slash of his claws. He smirked, pleased with what he saw, and captured her lips in a bruising kiss. Kagome struggled with determination, as she tried to move away, but he would not allow it. Tears continually streamed from her eyes._

"_Stop struggling. You are mine now." He bellowed loudly. She whimpered as the claws that held her in place dug into the sensitive flesh of her hips. His mouth traveled along her jaw line, as he licked his way down to her throat. He let his fangs linger there, smiling as he smelled her fear spike. He lightly grazed over her artery, causing a tiny drop of blood to ooze its way out. He licked it up, savoring the sweet taste. 'More!' He thought as he bit her shoulder roughly, causing a downpour of blood to cascade down her shoulder and chest. He couldn't get enough. He bit her again and again, each time in different places. She cried out in agony; a sound that made him smile in utter delight. He stopped his attack upon her body, only to realize that she was still wearing her undergarments. _

"_Take them off." He ordered. _

"_W-what?" She questioned. She followed his gaze, and a look of realization slowly crept over her face. "No! No! No!" She yelled. He growled menacingly, quieting her shrieking. "P-please no!" she begged when she noticed his hand moving closer and closer to her chest. He grabbed the top of her exposed cleavage, sinking his claws in before trailing his nails down and ripping off her bra entirely. Blood was dripping down her entire body. She was in so much pain; she didn't think she could take anymore. That's when his hands made their way down to her panties, hastily tearing them away from her body. A moment later, he was fully unclothed as well, and thrusting himself into her. Blood poured from Kagome's wounds and tears poured from her eyes. Inuyasha howled out his pleasure as he climaxed, collapsing on top of her, and taking the rest of the strength that she had left. A moment later she went limp under his body, and he realized that she was unconscious. He got up and dressed himself, then turned and walked away- leaving Kagome to be killed off by one of the hungry creatures of the night. _

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"AHH!" Inuyasha yelled as he plummeted from the tree branch that he was currently perched on and toward the ground below. Sweat dripped from his forehead, and his breath came in ragged pants. His heart was beating a million miles and hour. His mind was being plagued by the images of the nightmare that had just awoken him. He hit the ground with a heavy thud. He rolled onto his side and focused on calming his racing heart, but it did him no good. The moon was high in the sky, meaning that he had been asleep for several hours… dreaming of himself raping and killing his beloved Kagome. His stomach turned at the thought, and he fought against the urge to vomit on the forest floor.

'_Is that really what it was like?' _He pondered. _'I-is that what would have happened if Kouga had not been able to rescue her from me? Would she even be alive now?'_

"Damnit!" He yelled aloud as he slammed his fist into the dirt, making a small crater beneath his hand. He cried out in rage, trying not to lose control… again. He couldn't let it slip, if he went full demon, who knows how long it would take for him to come out of it… or what he would do.

'_I love Kagome so much.' _He thought in sorrow. _'And it's true… I did want to mate with her… but not like that.' _ He decided that he could never allow this to happen again.

'_I have to find the sword.' _He reminded himself. He was slowly journeying back to the place where he and Kagome were camping that fateful night, in order to look for any trace of his tetsusaiga. _'If I can get the sword, I can get my control back. Maybe then Kagome will be able to trust me again.' _He thought to himself. He knew that it wouldn't be easy, but as long as he apologized and made sure it never happened again, he had a shot. He knew that Kagome was a very forgiving person… the kindest that he had ever met. For once, he thanked her for her gentle, loving nature, and prayed that she would be able to recover.

"I will find tetsusaiga!" He barked out in determination. He pulled himself off of the ground, and decided to start his search tonight. If he wanted to win Kagome back, he had to be quick. _'I know the wolf rescued Kagome, but I still don't trust him. He did it to further his own purposes. He will turn her against me, I am sure of it.' _ He began to search the forest, feeling a bit more hopeful about his situation.

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Meanwhile, back at Kouga's den, Kagome was having a nightmare of her own. She was re-living the attack, only this time… Kouga didn't come.

"No!" She screamed out loud. A thin layer of perspiration covered her forehead as she tossed and turned, struggling to escape from an imaginary assailant. A soft whimper escaped her throat, as if she were really feeling the pain from within her dream. "Inuyasha… stop! No!" She repeated over and over.

Kouga awoke with a start, hearing Kagome's frightened pleas fill the cavern. She had fallen asleep after her wounds had been tended to. He didn't have the heart to wake her, so he decided to take up his old post in the corner and watch over her as she slept. He didn't notice that he had fallen asleep himself.

"Nh- No." Kagome said in a soft whimper. Kouga leapt off the ground and landed next to the bed of furs, becoming concerned.

'_She must be having a nightmare.' _He thought worriedly. He brushed the bangs out of her face, noticing the way her brow was creased in frustration and fear. Her eyes were shut tightly, and her moans and whimpers increased in volume. He hated to wake her, but he didn't want to sit there and watch her suffer either. So he gently shook her, hoping to pull her out of the land of dreams. "Kagome." He called out. "Wake up." She stirred a little, but only from that nightmare that her mind was currently trapped in. He shook her with much more force this time, worried about the way she was fearfully muttering Inuyasha's name.

"Kagome!" He yelled, not wanting her to have to re-live another moment of terror. He knew what her nightmare was about.

Kagome sat up rapidly, chest heaving and eyes glossy with un-shed tears. She took a moment to let her heartbeat return from jack rabbit to a normal, human pace, and glanced over at Kouga.

"I-it was a dream?" She questioned, with confused eyes. He nodded slowly in return.

"It wasn't real this time." She said to herself, letting it sink in. "But… it felt so, real. I-I thought it was happening all over again. " She whispered shakily.

"Kagome, you don't have to worry about any of that..." He replied, tucking her safely into his arms. "… because I will never let him hurt you again." he promised solemnly. "The only thing you have to worry about is healing those wounds. They seem to be looking a lot better already."

Kagome smiled at his statement, having calmed down from her dream a bit. "You and these wounds! Is that all you talk about? I told you already, they're fine."

"But Kagome- I'm just worried. They're deep. He hurt you a lot, and… I wasn't there in time to stop him from doing it." He said softly. "But I promise, that it will not happen again." He shifted her in his embrace letting her lean comfortably against his chest. The reason he brought up her injuries so much is because they were a constant reminder of her pain, and his inability to protect her. When they healed, so would his heart. And hopefully she would be able to find peace as well, and forget about the horrible encounter.

Kagome looked at him with understanding, seeing the pain in his eyes. "Kouga, you know that none of this was your fault. Please stop blaming yourself." She begged. "We've been through this. It's amazing that you even showed up when you did! You saved me." He still looked a bit depressed, not completely convinced by her statement. "I'm not saying that it wasn't bad… it was horrible. But it could've been a lot worse. You're my hero." She said, reassuring him. She leaned her head against the crook of his neck, not noticing the blush that swept across his cheeks. She didn't realize the effect that her words had on him.

'_Kagome…I wish I could tell you how much I love you.' _He thought to himself. He normally had no problem expressing his feelings towards her, but things had been so complicated lately. She had been through so much… and it would be too much for him to confess his undying affection towards her without making her uncomfortable. Not only that, but his feelings ran deeper than he could even begin to explain. He looked down at her, noticing that she had fallen asleep back in his arms. Her beautiful face was peaceful this time, happy and terror free. Her lips were slightly parted, and her gentle breathing was soft against his skin. Her hair fell gracefully across his shoulder and chest, while a few strands splayed casually across her own face. He brushed them away, then hugged her tighter to himself, scooting back into the wall of the cave. He wanted to stay this way forever.

'_Maybe now that that filthy dog has screwed up, I have a chance to __**really**__ be with her forever.' _He thought. _'There's no way in hell that I'm ever going to trust him alone with her again…that's for sure.' _Her lips pressed gently against the skin of his neck as she shifted in her sleep, and he blushed at the intimate contact. He knew it was accidental, but he couldn't help but sigh contentedly. What he wouldn't give to have those lips pressed against his own… Thoughts of Kagome circled throughout his mind as he himself drifted off into a light sleep, dreaming of what kind of future they could someday have together.

----

The sun was peaking into the sky, but Inuyasha's search was far from over. He was circling the area in which he lost the sword, but it was nowhere to be found.

"Where the hell could it be?" He screamed aloud. He had to get it back. He had to get Kagome to trust him again. Anger seeped into his soul as he thought about his own stupidity, and where Kagome was right now because of it. He sent her into the arms of the wolf willingly, and now he might lose her forever. The thought of losing his potential mate had his demon side struggling against it's restraints.

'_**Go get her before it's too late.' **_His demon side urged.

'_It's too late. She's with him now. We screwed up.' _The rational side argued. Inuyasha was used to having internal battles with his demon side. It wasn't a split personality type of thing, he just had two extremely different drives to deal with. His human side contributed the emotional, more rational aspects; and his demon the instinctual urges. It would throw his mind into turmoil sometimes, but usually both sides compromised, effectively balancing each other out. It was only when one side overpowered the other that trouble started brewing. The last time his human side took control, he cried like a baby, not only embarrassing himself, but making himself appear weak. And the last time his demon took control… well, he ended up losing his best friend and secret love of his life. Now he was here, wondering just what to do about it.

'_**Just take her back. She'll forgive us eventually. It's better than losing her altogether.' **_The demon reminded his human side, trying to persuade himself to act on the urge to run to Kouga's den and sweep her up into his arms.

'_We can't risk scaring her. She doesn't want to come back with us yet. If we go out there and just grab her it will only make things worse.' _

'_**And what if she never wants to come back? What if she decides to stay with Kouga forever?' **_His demon side pondered. _**'Are we supposed to accept that?' **_

'_If that is what makes her happy, then yes.' _The human side replied. '_It is the right thing to do.' _

'_**No! I cannot lose her! I will not!' **_His demon side raged. _**'I have restrained myself thus far for the sake of my future mate, but I will not do so for much longer. I will give you time to do things your own way, but if you fail I will take over and get her back by any means necessary.' **_He warned_** 'Without the sword, I can surface any time I want. Do not forget that she is ours.' **_With that last warning Inuyasha's inner demon settled, leaving the balance of power equalized once more. His thoughts were on track again, seemingly coming from one mind rather than two.

"No!" Inuyasha yelled to the sky. If his demon took over again, he would lose Kagome forever. But because his demon ran on instincts, he did not see things from that point of view. Sure there was a part of him that wanted Kagome back, but there was an even bigger part of him that wanted her to be happy… even if it wasn't with him. _'What can I do?' _He thought to himself. He knew that his body and mind could be controlled by his demon side at any given time without the protection of the sword. And if his demon side surfaced, Kagome would be in danger.

"WHERE THE HELL IS MY SWORD?" Inuyasha shouted to the forest. Woodland creatures could be heard scurrying about in the branches above -obviously frightened by the sound- but other than that there was silence. He was fresh out of ideas. He had nowhere to go where she would be safe from him, and he had no idea where to begin looking for his sword. He was stuck. As he stood there thinking, a familiar scent surrounded him. It assaulted his sense, making him gag in disgust.

"Naraku." He bit out angrily. "I should have known." An evil laugh echoed off the tree trunks, filling the clearing with the eerie sound. A moment later a baboon suit emerged from the forest, throwing a creepy blank stare towards the Hanyou. Inuyasha knew it was only a puppet, but he had to try not to let it provoke him in to losing control.

"Lose something?" Naraku questioned in mock innocence.

"Give me back my sword you bastard!" Inuyasha shouted without a moment's hesitation. If Naraku had taken his sword, then he knew about his weakness.

"Sword? I was talking about the girl." Naraku replied smoothly. Inuyasha's face contorted in anger as he fought to keep his composure, earning a small chuckle from the evil hanyou.

"You leave her out of this." He demanded, growling at the mention of Kagome.

"Oh, but I have big plans for her." Naraku informed him. "You see, once I kill the prince of the wolf tribe, and take his shards of course, she will be all mine." He told the pissed off Hanyou in front of him. "Not only will I have my own personal shard detector, but she is sure to provide some extra amusement as well. She is quite a stunning creature, I must admit." He chuckled.

"You a sick son of a bitch! I'll never let you hurt her!" Inuyasha yelled, forgetting that he needed to stay calm. "Stay away from her!"

"So now I'm the sick son of a bitch? I believe you are just as guilty as I, of not more so." He watched Inuyasha's face fall, and smirked with delight.

"Y-you know?" Inuyasha sputtered, wondering how the hell Naraku could have caught wind of the news so quickly.

"Yes. I was going to attack your group that night. I figured since you were missing half your members, you would be much easier prey." He recalled. "However, you left Kagome alone. I almost took the opportunity to capture her right then and there, but she began to awaken. I saw you attack her shortly after. I must commend you on your work, it was quite a show you put on. You know how I love to see two close companions separated by betrayal and bloodshed." Inuyasha growled deeply, threatening to lose control. "However it is a good thing you did not get to finish the job. She will make a much more interesting toy for me." He said, intentionally filling his voice with lust to piss the hanyou off.

"Once I get her back, she will be safe from you. You cannot harm her." Inuyasha shot back, trying to reassure himself as well as the demon puppet before him.

"That is why I have taken and destroyed your beloved sword. She will never be able to return to you safely. She'll be safer with me than she will in your care! And once the wolf is out of the picture…"

Naraku was interrupted by Inuyasha's growls of anger. His fists clenched involuntarily as he tried to fight the sensation taking over his body.

'_**Your plan is not going to work, can't you see? He wants her too, and you don't have a sword to fight him. You can't win with out me.' **_Inuyasha's demon resurfaced, attempting to take control. _**'I told you that if you were incapable I would do it myself… And you have proven yourself to be helpless without me. I have to save her before it is too late.'**_

Inuyasha's claws grew three times their size, and his fangs began to poke out of his mouth. Jagged purple stripes etched themselves across his cheeks, and he grew at least a foot taller. Naraku chuckled as his puppet was slaughtered by a full demon Inuyasha, and he sent his saimyosho out to follow him. He just had to see what trouble he would cause this time; then he would make his move.


End file.
